Chair of the European Parliament’s Palestine Delegation joins independent legal observer ship accompanying Global Sumud Flotilla
As the European Union and national governments fail to take action against the genocide in Gaza, MEPs from The Left and national representatives of member parties are joining the Global Sumud Flotilla to break the illegal siege and starvation of Gaza. The flotilla is described as the largest maritime humanitarian mission in history.
MEP Emma Fourreau (La France Insoumise, France) is on board the flotilla for the second time. In late July, Fourreau was illegally detained by the IDF in international waters for attempting to bring aid to the people of Gaza to alleviate Israel’s man-made famine.
Meanwhile, the Chair of the European Parliament’s delegation for relations with Palestine, MEP Lynn Boylan (Sinn Féin, Ireland) is joining an independent legal observer ship, with a crew of legal experts and lawmakers, to document and monitor suspected breaches of international law by Israel in international waters.
Speaking from the flotilla, MEP Emma Fourreau said: “We have made the promise that we will send as many ships as necessary to break the illegal blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza. This international initiative is the largest humanitarian flotilla in history. It holds governments to account: do they support the genocidal war criminal Netanyahu, or the peoples of the world who are rising in support of Palestine? Citizens are putting their lives on the line in an attempt to stop this genocide. Our duty is to stand by them and protect them as much as possible.”
MEP Lynn Boylan said “In recent months, Israel has twice illegally intercepted ships in international waters who were attempting to deliver aid to the starving people of Gaza. I am travelling on board an independent legal observer boat to document any breaches of international law and to ensure that the flotilla can do its crucial humanitarian work unimpeded. We are at a point now where Israel’s illegal blockade has caused famine in Gaza and world powers seem content to stand by while children starve and Israel carries out genocide against the people of Gaza. The flotilla is a powerful reminder that ordinary people will not stand by while children are starved and bombed and will seek to uphold international law when their own countries fail to do so.”
Left parties from France, Ireland, Spain, Portugal and Greece are represented on the flotilla, with more expected to join in the coming days.
In Brussels, The Left calls on the European commission to guarantee the diplomatic, legal and physical protection of the flotilla. The Left also calls for suspension of institutional relations with Israel beginning with a full arms embargo, and demands that every effort be made to bring Benjamin Netanyahu to The Hague as ordered by the International Criminal Court.
